Kimberly Cheatle, the former Secret Service Director, will not be updating her security clearance, according to the agency. This decision follows Cheatle’s resignation last year due to heightened scrutiny over a security breach that led to an assassination attempt on Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
On July 13, 2024, Trump survived a shooting that left him with a grazed ear, while Corey Comperatore, a member of the audience, was killed, and two others were hurt. The incident escalated when a Secret Service sniper shot Thomas Matthew Crooks, who had climbed onto a nearby building.
Typically, former directors of the Secret Service, along with other U.S. intelligence officials like those from the CIA and FBI, update their clearances regularly. However, the agency cited that not all former directors will continue this practice under the current director, Sean Curran.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service explained that these clearances are crucial for maintaining communication on sensitive issues with former officials. They noted that Director Curran is working on modernizing the agency’s intelligence reporting and has determined not all past directors will renew their clearances.
Some Republican lawmakers, including Senator Ron Johnson, expressed concern regarding Cheatle’s security clearance, believing it should not be renewed. Johnson referenced the security failure surrounding the assassination attempt, stating that Cheatle’s resignation was justified.
Senator Marsha Blackburn, who participated in an investigation of the incident, pointed out that Cheatle’s oversight of significant security mistakes should bar her from keeping her clearance. Blackburn remarked that Cheatle had not effectively managed the security measures needed to prevent such an attempt on Trump’s life.
Cheatle stepped down ten days after the Butler incident, accepting responsibility for the security lapse. Her statements at the time emphasized the core mission of the Secret Service, which is to protect national leaders and their financial infrastructure.
In the wake of the incident, accusations were made regarding Cheatle’s honesty during testimony about the shooting, which she denied, defending the integrity of her testimony and the frontline agents.
